Top tips for hens

Organising a hen party but don’t know where to begin? Here are some tips to help make your party a success.

Our list of Hen Party Tips on planning the perfect party, whether it is a wild hen night or a sedate get together; our checklist of essentials will help you plan the party to remember.

Getting it right

Check with the bride about who she really wants to be there &hyphen;&hyphen; should it be just close friends and family, or work colleagues too?

Make sure you get all the necessary contact details.

Hen nights are often organised as a surprise for the bride, but make sure you get an idea of what she’d like to do &hyphen;&hyphen; there’s no point having a wild night in a club when she’d rather a quiet day in a spa.

Sound out her friends to see if they’ve got ideas, too.

Get in touch with all the hens as soon as possible &hyphen;&hyphen; if you have a large group to organise, finding a date and a location to suit everyone may take time.

Perfect planning

Don’t under any circumstances hold the hen night on the night before the wedding!

Choose a weekend a week or two before the wedding, and try to combine it with the stag do.

Think about where you want to hold the party &hyphen;&hyphen; do most of her friends live in one area or is there a central location which would make a good meeting&hyphen;point for everyone?

If you’re inviting older friends or mums, choose a venue that everyone feels comfortable in &hyphen;&hyphen; if in doubt, split the do into various stages, such as a meal for everyone, and wild clubbing later for the young ones.

Plan a few thoughtful treats. This could be anything from a guest book signed by all the hens to a photo album containing photographs of her life.

Take along some finishing touches such as personalised shot glasses and hen party t&hyphen;shirts.

Be very organised. If you’re going abroad, for example, check that everyone has their passports and tickets before you discover missing items at the airport.

Paying up

Discuss budgets as soon as possible to find something that suits everyone’s tastes and pocket.

When it comes to paying, the costs should be divided amongst the group &hyphen;&hyphen; the bride shouldn’t have to pay for anything.

If you have to book an activity or transport, send an email requesting payment from each guest, but be sure to outline exactly what everyone’s paying for, and set a limit on the total amount payable.

On the day

It’s easiest to sort out money at the start of the evening, so set up a kitty to avoid the hassle of sorting out bills at the end of the night.

If there are lots of you going out, see if you can arrange a group discount in advance.

Make sure the events are paced &hyphen;&hyphen; you don’t want everyone to get drunk too soon, so make sure a meal is included in the celebrations.